Youth Day

Bear Paw Credit Union Youth Day was held Wednesday at Pepin Park from 11 a.m to 2 p.m.

The credit union partnered with Havre Parks and Recreation to create a fun, carnival-like environment that was free to participating kids and parents alike.

Katie Wirtzberger, marketing specialist at Bear Paw Credit Union, said that Youth Day is believed to have been started several years ago in an effort to promote the Credit Union for Kids program.

This is a savings account for children up to age 16 has a minimum deposit of $5. Prizes are offered as reward for saving.

Many different groups and businesses were in attendance, including the Havre Fire and Police departments, which brought various vehicles.

Food was prepared and served by Taco John’s and music was provided by Holden’s Hot Wheels.

Games included a basketball toss into a bucket truck set up by Triangle Communications, duck and fishing pools, and a guppy racing game.

Guppy races are done by placing a guppy in a gutter filled with water, and blowing the fish all the way to the other end of the gutter before the other competitors. This proved to be popular with the young kids in attendance.

The Parks and Recreation staff offered basketball and bean bag tosses, face painting and a free plaster of paris craft to paint.

Other participating businesses and groups included the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, the U.S. Border Patrol Havre Sector, the North Star baseball team, Blue Pony Fastpitch team, Bullhook Clinic, Bullhook Dental and the Montana State University-Northern basketball team.

Bear Paw Credit Union was pleased with the event, said Wirtzberger.

“We think it went great this year,” she said, adding that it was a fun, free day in the park

Attendance was high with probably the biggest turnout yet Wirtzberger said.

“We ran out of prizes.”